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October Issue 2004
Carolina Nature: A photographer's view of
the natural world in the Carolinas by Eric Horan
A Review
by Tom Starland
I've known Eric Horan was a great nature photographer long before I was editor and publisher of an arts newspaper. In the mid-1980's when I was one of the owners of a fine art photography gallery in Charleston, SC, Horan was one of the nature photographers from the Lowcountry which the gallery was privileged to represent. He was also one of the photographers who helped me decide that I was not destined to be a photographer myself. It was a tough group to compete with - Tom Blagden, Jr., T.R. Richardson, John M. Moore, Luke Platt, and Eric Horan.
You could say Horan was one of the reasons there is a Carolina Arts. Instead of teaching, I decided to promote good art and good artists. Now, almost 20 years later, I have the opportunity to tell you what I think of Horan's latest publication, Carolina Nature.
The most common misconception about photography is that anyone can reproduce the photographic image they are looking at - as long as they are standing in the same place and using the same equipment the photographer is using. Eastman Kodak and Fuji have made fortunes on that boast. It's funny, I have never heard someone stand in front of a Rembrandt or van Gogh and say the same thing. The general public tends to discount the efforts of photographers. After all, they are just clicking the shutter on a camera. Well, be my guest.
One of the pleasures of spending time in that photography gallery was watching people look at the photographs hanging on the walls by the artists mentioned above and hearing them gasp in awe at the wonders being presented to their eyes. The amateur photographers were a special treat - watching them scratch their heads and ask - how did they do that?
What makes the difference between an amateur and a professional photographer? A few of the qualities include - experience, knowledge of subject, patience, perspective, and I believe they have to be a little crazy. First, crazy to have chosen photography as their medium to express themselves - the least respected of art forms and second, crazy in that they won't stop at much to capture their images.
You can see an example of one of Horan's special qualities on the inside of the book jacket. There you will find a photo of a crazy man - in this case, Horan, standing on top of a 12 foot ladder. This would be bad enough if it wasn't for the fact that the ladder is inside a boat - a boat that is only one foot longer than the ladder is tall. What some people won't do to bring us a different perspective on nature. A good nature photographer shows us what we won't see anytime, anywhere. Horan is one of those phtographers.
Horan offers these words about the early development of "his" perspective in the book's forward. "My dreams were like Hollywood movies in full color with multiple cuts and roving camera angles from all perspectives. Awakening, I would sit up in bed and try to re-create the cinematography in my mind. This carried over into my daily activities. I began to 'see' my world from a variety of different perspectives, imagining aerial views or wondering what a subject or action might look like if viewed from the ground up or passing by it instead of simply looking at eye level."
In order to bring us the images found in his
book, Horan has twisted his body for angles hanging out of small
planes and helicopters, dangled from 55' trawlers, stood on top
of ladders in boats, plunged into murky ponds nose deep, and stood
in ice-cold streams and rivers. He's hiked miles to scout out
potential photo opportunities, going back again and again - waiting
hours for the light to be right and for nature to do its thing.
Many days you come away with nothing but a sore back and cold
feet.
As you look through the images presented in this book, you can
see that Horan is not only a patient man, but a lucky man too
- as some luck plays a part in all good nature photography. It's
in these times of luck where experience and knowledge plays a
most important part.
Carolina Nature offers an ample amount of wide sweeping landscapes, close-up details, amazing wildlife images, and views of nature's infinite contrast - in color and design.
One of my favorite wildlife images is that of a raccoon trotting across a tidal area at low tide near Pinckney Island, SC. Most of us only see these critters "sleeping" by the side of the road. Another longtime favorite is an image of a dolphin surfing in the wake of a trawler.
As a natural landlubber, I'll never forget
an early morning boat trip I once took to one of South Carolina's
barrier islands. At the time, I had only been in the Lowcountry
a few years and I was still in love with the coastal wonders of
the Charleston area, but I had never seen it from the water. As
we entered the Intracoastal waterway a school of dolphins crossed
in front of the boat. I flipped out! I was from Michigan, and
although we have great wildlife there the closest we get to dolphins
is by watching them on TV. Here were a half dozen of the mystical
creatures in their natural environment - a few feet from our boat.
That experience was a moment in time that will probably never
be recreated, but Horan's image of that dolphin surfing in the
wake of a trawler brings the experience back to me every time
I see it. As they say - that's a Kodak moment.
For those of you who spend time in the great outdoors of the Carolinas
- you'll probably find many more images which will conjure up
memories of wonderful moments. For the couch potatoes out there,
this book will bring the great outdoors into your living room.
The book might even inspire you to get out and find some memories
of your own, but don't expect to see what Horan is showing on
these pages. It takes time and hard work to get yourself in position
to view nature in all its glory. It's a good thing Horan doesn't
mind doing the work for you. And, that's the purpose of a good
photo book.
For those who are still debating whether photography is a true
art form, check out Horan's image of spartina grass in the glow
of a red sunset or sunrise on Hilton Head Island, SC, or a willow
tree in the wind in the Shenandoah Valley in NC. What artist wouldn't
want to boast of painting these images. Photographers have to
pay attention to the rules of art just as painters, sculptors,
and artists working in other media do.
If there is any problem with Carolina Nature, it might be that some would feel that some areas of the two Carolinas are not represented as well as some are. It's a problem we at Carolina Arts have to deal with constantly. People are territorial and they will expect to see images of their part of the Carolinas, but Horan only promised to give us a view of the Carolinas he has seen. Perhaps he'll be visiting your natural wonders for his next book.
Horan has also produced a Lowcountry calendar since 2001 now in it's 4th year, the calendar has grown in popularity every year, partly because it is a collective annual portrait of this beautiful region we all call the Lowcountry. The calendar includes 24 full color natural history images and coastal tides for the whole state as a bonus.
Carolina Nature and the Lowcountry, South Carolina 2005 calendar are available at Walden, Borders, and Barnes & Noble bookstores throughout North and South Carolina and many fine independent bookstores & gift shops as well. You can also purchase both products through the Internet at (www.horanphoto.com) or (www.southernlight.biz).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.